Lucy Wales, Kiara Bowers and Paxy Paxman. Pictures: AFL Photos

WITH the AFLW Practice games in the books, our starting squads are starting to take better shape.

A few unexpected roles across the weekend have new faces emerging in AFLW Fantasy teams this week, while a few pop scores from in-form players demand our attention.

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This article, much like Liam’s team before me, breaks my current Fantasy team into four categories, based on how likely they are to be in my final team:

The Guarantees: Players who haven’t left the squad and aren’t changing in the foreseeable future;
The Highly Likelys: Marginally less confident, but on the whole, they have been consistently in my draft squads, and have very few flags or question marks;
The Probables: Players with great upside but come with more risk, be it because of role, health, or price; and
The Possibles: The players who have most consistently changed, and who will almost certainly not be the same in a fortnight.

With injury reporting and team announcements to come, the squad still has a few hoops to jump through!

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The Guarantees

Ebony Marinoff (MID, $1,876,000), Kiara Bowers (MID, $1,159,000), Georgie Prespakis (MID, $948,000), Zippy Fish (MID, $404,000), Bre Koenen (DEF, $738,000), Jess Rentsch (DEF, $314,000), Bonnie Toogood (FWD, $501,000)

Marinoff (120 in the practice match), Toogood (62) and Bowers (112) continue to form the bedrock of my Fantasy side, having featured in every iteration so far. Fish (77) looked incredible against Brisbane and is building a case to be started on field.

But some new faces have quickly become guarantees in my starting squad. Prespakis (152) looks back to her dominant self after shaking off the quad injury that plagued her last season. Priced at 73.2, Prespakis will be a bargain this season. Koenen (108) and Rentsch (70) may stand at opposite ends of the price spectrum, but both are set to run through the middle this season. Koenen has proven herself in the past to be an incredible tackling player through the middle, and should be a reliable scorer this season. Rentsch was the No.2 pick in the 2023 draft, and while her debut season in defence didn’t shown much Fantasy prowess, she is a fierce competitor and incredibly athletic.

The Highly Likelys

Charlie Rowbottom (MID, $1,377,000), Ash Centra (MID, $420,000), Paxy Paxman (DEF, $601,000), Brooke Tonon (FWD, $459,000), Ange Stannett (FWD, $766,000)

Centra has been in my team all pre-season, but missing both pre-season hitouts with a hip complaint has me a little wary. I am willing to trust that Centra can overcome this and perform at the level we have seen in her draft year, but I’ll be keeping a close eye on any further injury reporting and exploring structures that start her on my bench for now. Rowbottom (122) continues to impress with her strength and impact, clawing her way to 13 tackles in a Cats mauling last Saturday. She will find ways to score no matter how the Suns’ season fares.

Charlie Rowbottom kicks the ball during Gold Coast’s practice match against Geelong on August 2, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

Paxman (80) looks to have wound back the clock, forming an instrumental part of the Demons’ transition game. With defenders tricky to pick again this season, Paxman looks to have a reliable scoring game to build around. In the same game, a young Crow Brooke Tonon (72) stated loud and clear that she is ready to take her game to the next level in 2025. The Fantasy forward returned to a familiar role off half-back and looked comfortable. 

Stannett (46) didn’t have a notable Fantasy game in her return, but the role was there early against St Kilda. I am almost certainly going to back the captain in for round one, given the value of her starting price.

The Probables

Niamh McLaughlin (DEF, $649,000), Kate Hore (MID, $1,106,000), Lucy Wales (RUC, $1,067,000), Piper Dunlop (RUC, $300,000), Eden Zanker (FWD, $625,000)

After watching the poise of McLaughlin (87) across half-back, you can understand why the Gold Coast appointed her joint captain in 2025. With a new coach and gameplan, the Suns are likely to be up and down in their performances this season but I expect someone in McLaughlin’s role to be a beneficiary of both. It is rare for a 32-year-old to have a career year, but for now I am loving what I see.

Niamh McLaughlin looks on during Gold Coast’s practice match against Geelong on August 2, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

I am really keen on the Demons in season 10, and see a lot of value jumping out. Hore (123) is always massively impressive in wins, and continues to spend more time in the midfield every season. Going off with soreness in the last quarter is a worrying sign, but a favourable fixture to start gives her a better-than-average chance of starting in my team. And another beneficiary of that early fixture should be Zanker (45) – facing down an All-Australian Crows defender wasn’t easy, but her pace and forward craft look phenomenal. With help returning, Zanker is a more unique play I am tossing up to get back to her 2023 best.

No part of my team has changed more than the ruck line-up. With the practice matches suggesting fewer stoppages in 2025 due to rule changes, I was impressed by Wales (85) in how she could impact around the ground with seven tackles and some strong contested marks. But I am also looking at some rookie ruck structures with Dunlop (61) on field, lowering the risk that some Fantasy scores for rucks may have a bit skimmed off the top in season 10.

The Possibles

Keely Coyne (DEF, $469,000), Elisabeth Georgostathis (DEF, $732,000), Montana Ham (FWD, $680,000), Grace Kos (FWD, $300,000)

The Hawks’ transition football was extremely Fantasy-friendly, with marks galore across the backline. I am unsure which defender will be the biggest beneficiary, but Coyne (40 in the second half only) has a great kick and a low price – a combination I love! Similarly, Georgostathis (73) is set to resume her half-back role at the Bulldogs, with 100 per cent of her 14 touches being kicks. Once Issy Pritchard returns from injury, a reshuffle of Jess Fitzgerald’s role could impact Georgostathis (as it did last season in round one) so I’ll be keeping a close eye on the injury reporting at the Kennel. 

Elisabeth Georgostathis in action during the Western Bulldogs’ practice match against West Coast on August 2, 2025. Picture: Getty Images

Former No.1 draft pick Montana Ham (66) looks set to be unleashed into the midfield in 2025. The Swans have an enormous rotation of potential midfielders with Laura Gardiner, Sofia Hurley, Darcy Moloney, Tanya Kennedy, Lucy McEvoy, Chloe Molloy and Cynthia Hamilton also likely to see minutes this season. But Ham’s height gives them a unique look that could benefit them in the long run. I don’t have a lot of faith in many of the mid-priced forwards, so Ham leads the race for the moment. Kos (57) rounds out my forward like, with her ruck presence offering plenty of opportunities to impact. With Eilish O’Dowd wrapping up her Gaelic season and returning to Australia soon, teamsheets are the greatest concern for what otherwise looks to be a promising season for the Irish recruit.

Also in consideration: Serene Watson (DEF, $876,000) Sarah Goodwin (DEF, $782,000), Jade Ellenger (DEF, $824,000), Rebecca Ott (DEF, $344,000), Indi Strom (DEF, $300,000), Laura Gardiner (MID, $1,311,000), Gabby Newton (MID, $982,000), Jasmine Fleming (MID, $995,000), Georgia Patrikios (MID, $690,000), Lucia Painter (MID, $396,000), Mim Strom (RUC, $1,456,000) Liz McGrath (RUC, $499,000), Courtney Murphy (RUC, $300,000), Amber Clarke (FWD, $342,000), Laura Stone (FWD, $326,000)

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